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[Graybeard]

Had quite a scare this weekend while detailing my convertable. Parked on a level surface in my driveway, and after washing and blow drying the bike, I started doing some chrome polishing. I have a short plastic folding seat about 10" high that's great for sitting on while working on the bike. I was detailing the front wheel, and to get a better angle I turned the handle bars to have the tire point straight. After finishing with the wheel I was working my way down the bike on the right side. I was sitting on my stool about in line with the seat when I started to stand up. As usuall, I reached with my left had for the sissy bar to add a bit of leverage (bad knees). I need to point out I've done this many times before, and I don't pull on the bar with much force.

Suddenly the bike started tipping into me as I stood up. 

Thanks to the Mustache bar and the right foot rest, along with a lot of adrenaline, I stopped the bike from falling and got her back on the kickstand with no damage, except to my ego. After catching my breath, it became very apparent that I had the front tire facing directly forward, which causes the bike to stand up much straighter than with the front tire turned all the way to the left (my usual position when I dismount). I know this should be a common sense issue, but just wanted to bring it up to possibly avoid someone else from doing something this stupid and possible very costly.

We pay so much attention to safe riding skills, yet it's some of the less obvious bike handling chores that can really bight you in the $%.

And yes..., this is one heavy machine.

Ride and "Park" safe

Mickey

[CVOStreetglide]

Had quite a scare this weekend while detailing my convertable. Parked on a level surface in my driveway, and after washing and blow drying the bike, I started doing some chrome polishing. I have a short plastic folding seat about 10" high that's great for sitting on while working on the bike. I was detailing the front wheel, and to get a better angle I turned the handle bars to have the tire point straight. After finishing with the wheel I was working my way down the bike on the right side. I was sitting on my stool about in line with the seat when I started to stand up. As usuall, I reached with my left had for the sissy bar to add a bit of leverage (bad knees). I need to point out I've done this many times before, and I don't pull on the bar with much force.

Suddenly the bike started tipping into me as I stood up.  

Thanks to the Mustache bar and the right foot rest, along with a lot of adrenaline, I stopped the bike from falling and got her back on the kickstand with no damage, except to my ego. After catching my breath, it became very apparent that I had the front tire facing directly forward, which causes the bike to stand up much straighter than with the front tire turned all the way to the left (my usual position when I dismount). I know this should be a common sense issue, but just wanted to bring it up to possibly avoid someone else from doing something this stupid and possible very costly.

We pay so much attention to safe riding skills, yet it's some of the less obvious bike handling chores that can really bight you in the $%.

And yes..., this is one heavy machine.

Ride and "Park" safe

Mickey

Mickey:

GOOD CATCH---the bike and the stand issue. I am assuming you had the bike in gear...1st right??

If so then you may have an issue with the spring and the detent in the kickstand frame bracket. I recommend a short trip to the dealer to find out if all is well in their assessment. Then if it happens to reoccur you are on record with the problem.

Regards

[Graybeard]

Oh yea...I had the bike in gear. It didn't move forward thank God. I don't see any issue with the stand, and with the front tire facing forward, the bike naturally stands up straighter, still leaning to the left....but not nearly as much as with the front tire turned all the way left. It was the added pressure I put on the sissy bar getting up that pulled the bile towards me. Something that would never happen if the tire was turned to the left.

I don't think it's as much a design issue as just a Caution point when the bike is parked. I know from now on..., I'll be much more attentive around the bike when I'm working on it.

Mickey

[Mr. Wizard]

She still loves you Mickey!   

[Gone Fishin']

All Harley's I had would stand solidly regardless of the position of the front wheel. To the left (for locking), straight or even to the right. I wonder what's different with this model to make the bike behave so differently.

Ride safely,
Louis

[Chains]

I have had 3 Ultras and all have been steady when front wheel is straight.  I always park that way, never had a problem.  Not sure why your bike is so different.  Good Save

[Ed45]

I purchased an ATV jack from Sears (Craftsman) on sale, several years ago and have a short stool too. Its amazing how much easier it is to detail that chrome with the bike 12-18" off the ground. Good idea to check that jiffy stand though.

[dooinit2u]

I have had 3 Ultras and all have been steady when front wheel is straight.  I always park that way, never had a problem.  Not sure why your bike is so different.  Good Save

Ditto, My wheel always stays strait. Might wanna invest in a good jack for Detailing...Just my input.

[Graybeard]

Maybe I'm making to much of this..., but the convertable with the front tire straight stands up more vertically, than with the tire turned to the left. I'm not saying this design is wrong, but because the bike is more vertical with the front wheel straight, she was less tolerant of force pulling her away from the stand, than with the tire turned to the left. I may have pulled more on the sissy bar getting up that I thought, but it has never happened with the tire turned to the left.

Again, this would more than likely never happen again, but like many of us older bikers who don't get up as quick as we used too, I reached for a little leverage as I usually do, but this time with the front tire facing forward, and the bike more vertical than normal, it apparently was enough to pull the bike off it's point of stability and cause it to tip to the right.

I'll also look inot a detailing jack. Sounds like a good investment

Mickey

[Mr. Wizard]

A softail will turn the front wheel to the left at rest naturally while a touring bike will stay straight. It's actually hard to make a softail front wheel stay straight at rest. (see my sig pic below)

Mickey... Didn't want the wife to get into that situation so I went out to the garage and turned the wheel straight and mimicked your conundrum. The bike stayed steady... I pulled really hard on the left side against the stand and the right side hard enough to straighten the bike up but it didn't tip, I'm just short of 200lbs. I was in a squat stance like you.

Please let us know if this happens again or you figure out what happened OK? thx

-wiz

[Graybeard]

I just happened to remember on thing. Though I said in an earlier post the bike was in gear.., when I replayed the incident in my head I remember having to pull the front break while I was pushing the bike back to vertical. That being the case, the bike was not in gear. I usually keep it in gear when I work on it, but in the garage normally, she's in neutral. That still does not account for the bike going vertical when I got up. Like you I'm around 205, 5' 10". I simply may have pulled harder on the sissy bar when getting up.....not sure.

The stand looks and operates fine. When I get home, might try it again (with one of my son's handy) and see how much "pull" I really need on the sissy bar.

Mickey

[ezpgh]

Mine stands almost straight up when the front wheel is straight and it's on the stand, so straight i'll bet the wind could blow it over. This bike is very, very light, feels like a mini-bike to me. Especially compared to the fully customized Ultra I am use to.

[Keats]

The lean of the bike on level ground is determined by the height of the frame off the ground.
The lower the frame the more upright the bike sits.
the Ultras are pretty high off the ground and lean quite a bit, but the lowered bikes sit fairly upright.

I have air adjustable shocks (a button) and can adjust frame height to change this to certain conditions.

I guess you just put too much force on the bike and did not realize it?

[GordieHM]

   I was waxing my bike on my walkway.  Turned handlebar to the right and started wiping off the wax on the left front fork when all of a sudden the bike fell over. I could not believe what happened. It was so quick. But luckily I had the engine guard installed and the bike fell over on the grass. I was so afraid to lift it up to see the damage. When I did lift it with my wife, I could not believe all that happened was the right mirror turned in. I was soooooooo lucky. Still can't believe it happened to me and with no damage.
Somebody said there are two kinds of people, ones that have dropped there bike and the others that have not dropped there bike yet.         

[porkypig]

Let me jump in here and say that I have had about 3 times that the bike has started to tip over to the right.  The first time was when I was washing it (it always seems like it's when i'm washing it....) The wheel was turned to the right and I didn't think anything about it.  Next thing I know it just appeared as though the bike was starting to tip to the opposite direction as the side I was washing.  I stood up and grabbed for the sissy bar or anything I could get my hands on to stop it.  Was lucky.  Then the afternoon I was trading it off to buy my '11 I was washing it for the final time and had taken the crash bar off.  the wheel was again turned to the right and it just started to tip to the right and I stood up and grabbed but this time with fear in my eyes!!  It almost just tipped over on the concrete and wouldn't that have been a thing to try to explain to the dealer??  Probably about $5-600 damage.  He'd probably just have told me, "not interested now".  Have not washed the '11 yet but have had one instance when the wheel was turned to the right and the bike almost went over when I applied just a little pressure that direction.  Not sure what it is about these bikes but they seem prone to tipping over when the wheel is turned to the right.  My '05 heritage was not like that.  It seemed sure-footed no matter the direction of the front wheel.  and it was also a softail but a couple inches taller than the 'convertible.  However, i would not want to trade it off just to have a more stable bike to wash.  We are supposed to be bike riders, not bike "washers", right?   Pork